The rules are pretty simple. Suffice it to say that a large portion of this board has probably scootered in and out of the roller coaster without a reel (a time or two). Is it a good practice? No. Would I want my kids to do it? No. Would it be advertised? No

The holes I play in now are dark, cold, nasty, sharp, lonely, and unforgiving. They are also untouched by man and a logistical nightmare. The rules are different but the cardinal rules are still key. Gas management isn't as simple as 1/3's, though it has taken some time to calculate gas management on the fly (starting with a couple hundred trips in Ginnie and the other Florida caves).

Advocating visual jumps will add to the body count in cave country and Mexico. Most of the guys that I dove with frequently (in cave country) practiced "dynamic gas management". We were also all familiar with differential equations and statistics and weighed our actions on a cost/reward scale. We are also all still alive.

The rules are not bulletproof. The likelihood of a negative outcome greatly increases when improper gas management strategies and guideline protocols are broken.

Can you break protocols and live? Sure. Can you follow protocols and die? Sure. Statistically speaking, the odds are stacked far greater in your favor if you follow the few simple rules.

We are talking about progressing through a hole filled with water. It's not really that difficult.

Statements like "1/3's in Ginnie are ULTRA CONSERVATIVE" may hold water. Last time I checked, having reserve gas for "what-if's" hasn't cost many lives. The opposite can not be stated.

I consider it poor form to advertise one's personal philosophies to untrained, unskilled, or inexperienced divers in any environment, especially advocating gas planning ideas that can not be executed without a firm understanding of the concept.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.